Xinjiang

American  

[shin-jyahng] / ˈʃɪnˈdʒyɑŋ /

(Wade-Giles) Sinkiang

noun

1. Official Name Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.  an autonomous region in northwestern China, bordering Tibet, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Tadzhikistan, Pakistan, and India: formerly a province. 635,830 sq. mi. (1,646,800 sq. km). Ürümqi.

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Etymology

Origin of Xinjiang

First recorded in 1965–70; from Chinese Xīnjīang “New Territory, Territories”

Example Sentences

Xi himself visited Xinjiang and Tibet in 2025 to mark major anniversaries of Beijing giving some nominal political autonomy in those areas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Qiu's research suggests pollution is shifting west as heavy industry relocates to regions like Xinjiang, and that some cities in China have seen double-digit percentage increases in PM2.5 in the last five years.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

Speculation has swirled over Ma’s political fortunes since he was removed as party secretary of the far western region of Xinjiang in July 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

In late 2021, Guan published a 20-minute video online detailing his travel around the northwestern Xinjiang region in China.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

He was Xu A-san, who used to live next to Six-Fingers and moved far away to Xinjiang a few years ago.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang